Star debutant steals the show

In his debut game against Collingwood, Jared Brennan starred in a Lions team already thick with stars.
Picture: GETTY IMAGES

As debuts go, it was pretty special. It is difficult enough to break into a team of superstars, but to actually stand out in such company made Jared Brennan's first game even more impressive.

Brennan, 18, has turned heads in Brisbane all summer, and although he wasn't best-on-ground against Collingwood, he stole the show.

A late inclusion for injured forward Daniel Bradshaw, the Darwin local amazed spectators with his array of skills and tricks. While he kicked a goal from 55 metres out hard up against the Gabba boundary line early in the second quarter, it was his one-handed catch of a Martin Pike handball as he ran out of the back line during the third quarter that stunned the experts.

It didn't quite win over coach Leigh Matthews, who after the Lions' 14-point victory reminded Brennan he had been born with two hands for a reason, but the 192-centimetre teenager has already impressed the three-time premiership coach.

Before the season even started, Matthews admitted Brennan was the best first-year prospect he had been involved with. After the match, Matthews knew his gut instinct was right.");document.write("

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"I must admit players who arrive at the club in their first year in a sense make up the numbers until they get a bit stronger and a bit more experience. What Jared appeared to be able to do when we started made me think, 'He might be first-year, with his first game tonight, (but) he has a lot of capabilities in his package'," Matthews said.

In his short football career to date, Brennan is already used to changing standards. At last year's AFL national draft camp in October, Brennan's vertical leap went off the scale, forcing the measuring stand to be raised.

On Thursday night, he played at both ends of the ground, imposing himself on the forward line before running with Chris Tarrant in the second half. He held Tarrant until the final minutes of the match, when the Magpie added two late goals to his tally, but Matthews knew he had been taking a risk.

"Putting a first-gamer on their gun player seemed a bit cruel. I just thought I shouldn't be doing that, but at half-time, I thought we were struggling . . . we needed to change our balance."

An excited Brennan faced the media after the game. He had loved the experience of playing in front of 36,000 people in the most anticipated game of football staged in Brisbane. "I enjoyed it a lot. I am playing with a great team," he said.

Not bothered by playing forward or back, Brennan was just happy to have started the match on the ground. "It didn't really matter where I started as long as I just got out there and did my job, as long as I tried my hardest when I got out there."

Despite excelling at all sports, including rugby league in Darwin, Brennan has always loved football. Last year, he travelled to Melbourne for a shoulder operation after the national under-age championships. When he returned home, supposedly to recoup, he started playing footy with his mates in the local grades before his father Wayne found out and ordered rest.

"He wanted to play with his mates. He just always wants to play," said his manager, Rick Olarenshaw, of athletes1. "After the shoulder operation, we had to send him away to fish and rest. He is a really level-headed, down to earth . . . likeable kid, (and) very independent."

Brennan's independence and love for football was the reason he chose to remain in Darwin after his mother Henrietta moved to East Timor for work commitments. Staying alone, he trained under the coaching of the Northern Territory's under-18's coach Darren Trevena. Now reunited with his father and five siblings in Brisbane, Brennan was delighted his family were all at the Gabba to watch his debut.

At the start of this year, Brennan aimed to play just one senior game this season. Four rounds in, he has achieved his goal, and there are destined to be many more to come.